Bond-slip effect in steel-concrete composite flexural members: Part 2-Improvement of shear stud spacing in SCP

Abstract

The use of shear studs usually placed in the form of mechanical shear connectors makes it possible to adopt composite steel-concrete structures in various structures, and steel-concrete plate composite (SCP) is being seriously considered for the installation of storage tanks exposed to harsh environments. However, manufacturing of SCP must be based on the application of existing design guidelines which require very close arrangement of shear studs. This means that the direct application of current design guidelines usually produces very conservative results and close arrangement of shear studs precludes pouring concrete within exterior steel faceplates. In this light, an improved guideline to determine the stud spacing should be introduced, and this paper proposes an improved ratio of the stud spacing to the thickness of steel plate on the basis of numerous parametric studies to evaluate the relative influence of the stud spacing on the stability of the SCP.